Once you get through everything that's here, let me know if you have specific questions and I'll be glad to help you track them down. I'm by no means an expert, but I am an expert at looking for/finding things out.

09-08-09, 05:50 AM

kidcymucks

I have run quite a bit in my time. I was in the Army for 5 years. But I got in a motorcycle accident in 2004 and I'm still feeling the effects of the multiple fractures in my left leg. My doc advised against running, so that's why I walked. I really wish I could find a way to run a little, not that I like it, but because I want to actually complete ALL aspects of the tri!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechKnowGN

kidcymucks, Welcome to our little spot!!

Congrats on the first tri!

May I ask a question: What is stopping you from running? We're all Clydes here, so if it's a weight concern, that's certainly understandable. But if it's merely no prior experience with running, then there are plans to help with that. Of course, check with a doctor before entering any training plan.

What I've found interesting is that running is the area I can most easily make a major improvement in my success. I of course continue to build on my cycling, and over the winter will push to improve my swimming with near daily pool swims. But if I can just get to a 10 minute mile, I can cut 15 minutes off my finish times.

09-08-09, 09:18 AM

TechKnowGN

Yeah, I feel ya on that kidcymucks. My first 3 triathlons, I "sprinted" the last 50 yards or so, but otherwise i walked. You can certainly work on walking faster without running. In fact, speedwalking may give you increased speed without the higher stresses on the knee and ankles of running. Just a thought. I'm working towards running at least a good part of my next triathlon. I've been doing 3/2 intervals and trying to get to where I can do that for a full 5k.

09-08-09, 11:07 AM

cohophysh

TKG
I just read the Idiot's Guide to Running and it has some good insight..it sounds like you may be on the right track. He basically has you start with 5 minutes walking 1 min. running and then building up to 30 minutes of running. I am starting it today...expect sore legs tomorrow...!

09-08-09, 01:52 PM

TechKnowGN

Quote:

Originally Posted by cohophysh

TKG
I just read the Idiot's Guide to Running and it has some good insight..it sounds like you may be on the right track. He basically has you start with 5 minutes walking 1 min. running and then building up to 30 minutes of running. I am starting it today...expect sore legs tomorrow...!

Cohophysh, while there are a ton of different theories on almost every part of triathlon racing, moving from walking to running is fairly universal. Start a program that moves you from walking to running through interval training. Because I am impatient, and because I have been working out a lot, I decided to make slightly bigger jumps once I saw i could the intervals. it wasnt that long ago that i was at 5/1 or 4/1, and now im running more than walking. Last week I did a 30 minute workout, and wound up running 20 out of 30 minutes. Because my recovery walking is so slow, I'm not that much faster than just straight up walking as fast as I can... YET!

09-08-09, 02:29 PM

cohophysh

Excellent!.....I was able to do the 5/1 so I am off to a good start....I am looking forward to when I am running more than walking!

09-16-09, 05:23 AM

joco

WOW

this is a great tread.

a small tri would be a great goal for me. i love swimming to....but dont like running but do love walking.

is there any off those event........like......biking/walking/kayaking..?

What made this triathlon so interesting is that it was my first ocean swim, AND the run was on hard packed sand at low tide on the beach.

The ocean was cold, and pretty choppy. I feel now like my swim was my worst part, though it was kind of fun on the way back in due to assistance from the waves. But the way out was awful! Plus, had to run up a ramp from the beach to get to T1, and I was afraid of falling. Evidently, I have rid myself of a recently developed shark phobia too, which is nice.

The ride, I was totally ready to set a new PR for a 10 mile distance when in mile 7... I BROKE A SPOKE!! I got through the last 2+ miles with it, and managed not to lose too much time. It was rainy and the roads were so so, but I still managed to pass quite a few folks.

The run... this was interesting because I have slowly been working towards the transition from walking to running. But with today being the last race of my first season, I wanted to leave it all on the course, so after I adjusted to being off the bike, I started mixing jogging and walking. And when I got to the first mile marker, I decided to jog to the turnaround (.5 miles). When I got to the turn around, I thought I could keep going, so I kept going to the mile marker, and at that point, I said F&^* IT, and I jogged the last mile too. So I wound up jogging 2 WHOLE MILES CONSECUTIVELY!!

My time for this was 1:50:something, and I missed my stated goal of 1:45 by just over 5 minutes. But with the swim difficulty and the bike spoke insanity, I am more than happy with the results!

09-28-09, 08:02 AM

kgriffioen

Yesterday was my second and last event of the year in Whitewater, WI. Very nice day but a little on the windy side, especially on the last half of the bike portion. There was a steady 15 mph wind in my face with gusts up to 25. That wind really took its toll on me and I did not have a whole lot left in the tank for the run. The specifics for the event and my times are as follows:

Total: 1:28:21 (good for smack dab in the middle of my age group 44-49)

All and all it was a lot of fun. My wife was not able to do this one with me, but she supported me from the sidelines with my kids which was really nice to have.

Cannot wait until next year and do a few more of these things. Things to work on this winter will be my swimming. I will try and get to the pool more often and try and work on my stroke. Right now I do the swim with the side stroke 90% of the time.

09-30-09, 05:01 AM

Askel

It's important to do one triathlon a year, just to impress the civilians. People just sort of glaze over when I talk about my bike racing. But mention that I've merely even started a triathlon and they assume I'm some god-like athlete. :D

09-30-09, 12:24 PM

TechKnowGN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Askel

It's important to do one triathlon a year, just to impress the civilians. People just sort of glaze over when I talk about my bike racing. But mention that I've merely even started a triathlon and they assume I'm some god-like athlete. :D

Just finished my 2nd sprint tri this weekend in McFarland, WI. Fun, small (only about 84 people) very informal, and great for first timers. Fun for anyone, actually. :) I had a few challenges (rear wheel un-trueing at about mile 9, last 6 miles were against a headwind with a wobbly wheel), but I tried to have fun.

I think the most memorable portions of the race were having my wife, two girls, and mother-in-law cheering me on at the halfway mark of the bike and catching a football thrown by one of the race volunteers during the run portion.

Also the run got better after I saw a guy run past listening to an mp3 player; I realized that I hadn't seen any rules against those, and remembered that i had my Pandora-fied cell phone in my jersey pocket. On goes the Pandora Chromeo station, and Jeff rocks out for the rest of the run!

My advice:
If you haven't tried a triathlon, do it. Anybody can finish a triathlon. Don't be afraid of the other people, the other racers, the bystanders. My experience tells me that the racers are all supportive of each other, and the bystanders are supportive and in awe of the triathletes - that includes you, clyde / athena or not.

For technical advice, make sure to check your equipment before the evening before the race. I almost didn't participate in this one because of this!

10-09-09, 06:14 AM

TechKnowGN

Quote:

Originally Posted by kgriffioen

Total: 1:28:21 (good for smack dab in the middle of my age group 44-49)

All and all it was a lot of fun. My wife was not able to do this one with me, but she supported me from the sidelines with my kids which was really nice to have.

Cannot wait until next year and do a few more of these things. Things to work on this winter will be my swimming. I will try and get to the pool more often and try and work on my stroke. Right now I do the swim with the side stroke 90% of the time.

kgriffioen! Terrific work! I can't wait til I'm at the speeds you're going. Next season cannot come fast enough, but at the same time, I agree that this winter will be awesome for getting in some hardcore pool training.

10-09-09, 06:29 AM

TechKnowGN

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slothman

Wow, great idea for a sticky! I've been waiting for this! :)

My advice:
If you haven't tried a triathlon, do it. Anybody can finish a triathlon. Don't be afraid of the other people, the other racers, the bystanders. My experience tells me that the racers are all supportive of each other, and the bystanders are supportive and in awe of the triathletes - that includes you, clyde / athena or not.

For technical advice, make sure to check your equipment before the evening before the race. I almost didn't participate in this one because of this!

Slothman -

Congrats on a great first triathlon season, and thanks for the awesome advice. This is the biggest reason I wanted this sticky, so that others could find a supportive and fun way to share information.

And you're totally right, equipment check is so key! (And still doesn't mean you won't have problems mid race)

10-15-09, 12:09 PM

scotlandtb

TEch Damn you...... I thought I was happy with biking but I just reached my goal with my P.T. of being able to do push ups (I can do 3-4 sets of 10 about 50-70% of the way down at moment) so she has decided I need a new goal. After thinking (I hate running) I said I wanted to run at least a mile without stopping. She knows I dont like running but I told her I think I want to do at least one Tri as I think I would like it.

Question though - What are the standard distances of running in Tri's? I guess knowing what the distances for biking and swimming would help too. Currently can do 20 miles at a sustained pace of about 16-17mph for cycling and ok swimmer but not sure distances / stamina

10-15-09, 02:58 PM

TechKnowGN

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotlandtb

TEch Damn you......

Question though - What are the standard distances of running in Tri's? I guess knowing what the distances for biking and swimming would help too.

First, Congratulations on the pushup goal. I doubt i could do that!

This is something I had thought to put in the thread sooner, and didn't get around to. I'm going to do them from largest to smallest, because the largest have the most standardizing around them.

In the US, the Sprint and Olympic are the most common distances. The sprint is called the Novice race in Europe or Australia.

Also, for anything less than an olympic race, races can differ in distance from what the Sprint specs are. Of the 4 I've done, only 1 has met that distance. They are often somewhere closer to the mini-sprint swim distance, and between 10 and 15 miles on the bike. The run is almost always a 5k on the sprint, but I've done one that was a flat 3 miles.

Mini sprints are a lot less common, but if you want to build confidence and can find one locally, you can certainly start there. Don't be afraid to start right at a sprint distance though, its where most people start. Training is the key of course, and your success will depend on a combination of your hard work, the race course, the weather, and a bit of luck.

I suggest picking a race as much as 4 to 6 months in advance, continue working out, and then about 12 weeks out start any of a number of free training packages online. Don't put money into your first race other than an entry fee, a pair of shoes you can run in, and maybe have someone take a look at your bike.

Sorry if that was more than you asked for.

10-15-09, 03:23 PM

scotlandtb

that was exactly what I was looking for. With the sprint and olympic distances is there somewhere I can look to see what ave times for each event are?